The invention relates to a process for fitting structural units to a vehicle, axle springs in particular, the dimensions and/or three-dimensional shape and/or material are/is determined on the basis of the weight of a vehicle.
The range of options currently offered customers in the case of vehicles, and especially passenger automobiles, is distinctly varied. Virtually every automobile manufacturer offers a variety of vehicle types characterized in turn by alternative models determined in detail by the vehicle drive assembly. Every vehicle model in turn has certain basic equipment which may be supplemented by optional equipment items varying in weight (such as air conditioning, heating, sliding roof, trailer attachment, power takeoff equipment, etc.) for an individual vehicle ordered, as desired by the customer. The total weight of individual vehicles may vary widely.
On the other hand, in the overall design of such a vehicle there are structural units whose dimensions and/or three-dimensional shape are to be coordinated with the total vehicle weight. One example is that of the axle springs of wheel suspensions, which ultimately transfer the weight of a vehicle to the wheels. Axle springs which are properly selected (with respect to dimensions, three-dimensional shape, properties of materials) have a favorable effect on the static height and wheel house aspects, the cd factor, riding comfort, driving stability, and so forth.
In practical applications, however, either the same axle springs are always assembled, regardless of the actual volume of equipment or the total weight of a particular vehicle, or the factors most greatly affecting the total weight(such as the drive assembly) are taken into account and suitable axle springs coordinated with these factors are assembled. As a result a vehicle is produced whose individual components are not optimally coordinated with each other.
The object of the invention is accordingly to improve the process of fitting of structural units to vehicle, and axle springs in particular, so that optimum coordination with the actual circumstances, specifically the vehicle weight, may be attained.
The present invention provides a process for installing axle springs on vehicles having different spring supported bodies and components mounted on such bodies which generally consists of creating a database comprising loads of each of the bodies and components, identifying the body and components of each of such vehicles, accessing the database to retrieve the composite load of the identified body and components, identifying axle springs having load capacity ranges sufficient to support the identified load and then installing identified axle springs on the vehicle body.
The invention yields a number of advantages. For instance, if the axle springs cited as examples are included in the structural units, distinctly improved static height quality (ground clearance kept within narrow tolerances) is achieved on the basis of detection of and allowance for the extent of optional equipment relevant to weight. A high/low level resulting from subtracted/added weight is avoided. The extent of equipment of special vehicles (of police, emergency medical personnel, etc.) and volumes of equipment specific to individual countries may also be taken into consideration. If weight changes occur in individual equipment volumes during routine production, as for example as a result of structural modifications, such changes may also be taken into account immediately. Along with potential reduction in alternative structural units (axle springs), the fitting process as a whole may be improved. Different weights for items not spring loaded (such as wheels and tires) need not be considered.